Spin rate

[Night Train]

Thinking out loud for my thesis.

In an ideal world, is it easiest to ride with a constant, continuous spin rate and load on your legs then to have a varying load and speed as in a regular ride?

I'm thinking in terms of, say, a constantly variable transmission that kept the load the same regardless of road speed and road conditions.

Ta.

 

[Night Train]

Also would you rather be able to keep spining instead of stop/start, effort/rest?

Ta.

 

[thePig]

I think the speed is not relevant. What makes the cyclist most efficient is keeping a constant sustained effort - varying the load makes you go slower over a long distance. This is the theory anyway, although lots of cyclists don't do this and still ride great times.

The cadence also has an impact on effeciency and supposedly around 90rpm is the optimium.

 

[Night Train]

So if the effort was fairly constant and the cadance was about 90rpm regardless of terrain and road speed then the rider would feel most comfortable over a longer period of time.

 

[thePig]

I think this is the most efficient way to ride in terms of getting somewhere the quickest - I guess that then relates to feeling the most comfortable.

 

[byegad]

It's the way I TRY and ride. Unfortunately the Gravity thing sometimes stops this. Damn you Isaac Newton for inventing gravity!

 

[Night Train]

So if you could just pedal away at a steady cadance for all your ride and the bike sorts out the gears, up and down hills then that would be good?

 

[Moonchester]

I find that my cadence drops by about 10-15rpm on hills but that's because it lets me attain that easy rhythm.
The key to staying comfortable and therefore reducing the load and enjoying the ride is to maintain steady spin rates, preferably no more than three or four rates that change according to the incline and nothing else.

 

[Over The Hill]

I think the constant spin only works if you are fit enough to pedal at that speed for the whole ride.
As we are in beginners here some may not be able to do that yet. I am only just getting to that point after a fair bit of work.
Often it is OK to drop the rate down to zero rpm down a hill for a rest or to take it easy on the flat before a hill.

 

[Smeggers]

There is a couple of manufactureres out there with CVT gearing - dear though.

 

[Night Train]

I think the constant spin only works if you are fit enough to pedal at that speed for the whole ride.
As we are in beginners here some may not be able to do that yet. I am only just getting to that point after a fair bit of work.
Often it is OK to drop the rate down to zero rpm down a hill for a rest or to take it easy on the flat before a hill.

I did think I might have posted in the wrong forum but I was thinking that as I was a bit of a beginner the grown ups here might be able to advise.

I've not found the CVT systems online yet but I will have a look. It wasn't directly related to a CVT system but for something else I am thinking of that would give the same effect to the person peddling.

I have been trying to maintain a constant cadance on my bike trainer to see if I can do it continuously for long periods.

 

[goo_mason]

It wasn't directly related to a CVT system but for something else I am thinking of that would give the same effect to the person peddling.

I have been trying to maintain a constant cadance on my bike trainer to see if I can do it continuously for long periods.

I'm not trying to be funny or cheeky, but you might want to get the spellings of 'pedalling' and 'cadence' right before you put them in your thesis.

 

[domtyler]

When cycling in Time Trials a constant power output will attain a far lower time than trying to sustain a certain speed.

 

[Smeggers]

Here ya go...

http://www.fallbrooktech.com/home.asp

Saw a bloke in the LBS getting one on an Ellsworth other week - flash get!

 

[Night Train]

I'm not trying to be funny or cheeky, but you might want to get the spellings of 'pedalling' and 'cadence' right before you put them in your thesis.

Thanks, my spelling isn't good but I do try to check as I post but sometimes I miss some of them or haven't realised my fingers are on 'auto pilot' for the wrong spelling. There are lots of words I know how to spell but my fingers don't.